“You get what you get and you don’t get upset,” says Racheal McCaig and laughs as she relates her husband’s family motto.
And certainly McCaig has little to be upset about. As the successful manager of an impressive theatre career and a loving mother of two, McCaig has a schedule that would have most working moms throwing their hands up in the air rather than picking up a pen.
But it’s that unlimited enthusiasm that has led McCaig to co-write (along with husband Brett), produce and perform a number of hit plays including the anxiously awaited musical Bosco & Jones, premiering this month at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
“To me, true balance is achieved when it all works out,” she says. And with a work life full of evenings, weekends and long hours, the kids have always been her number one priority.
“We felt that if we were having them we’d take care of them ourselves. We don’t have daycare — it’s just the two of us.”
Certainly the children might be credited with inspiring their biggest success, the former Fringe darling and soon-to-be-a-feature-film Nursery School Musical.
“Besides writing this play, based on some of our real experiences, I also shifted my work habits when the kids came along.”
Currently in rehearsals for Bosco & Jones, McCaig says that her kids are comfortable with their lifestyle and with seeing artists come and go at all hours.
“For them it’s just a part of life, they’ve always been around it. We joke that we live in Full House: The Musical.”
And while most families find it challenging getting together for a family meal, McCaig says they manage to eat almost every meal together.
She grew up in a household where Dad managed to get home for dinner almost every night. Not an easy feat when you consider that her Dad is high-profile Toronto retailer Harry Rosen, who is there for his grandkids as well and still offers up some parental advice.
“He’s a good granddad. He stepped in when I was working too hard and got sick. He said, ‘Racheal, don’t be a martyr.’”
In addition to an already hectic schedule, McCaig is a successful photographer. But does this multi-talented, together woman ever suffer from mom guilt?
“Oh, of course. Is there any mother on the planet who doesn’t? The first time it kicked in was when I was watching my daughter play at being me. “Look! Mommy’s at the computer, and you can’t interrupt her.” If that’s life imitating art I need to back off.”
But with three new plays in development and Bosco & Jones set to hit the stage, backing off doesn’t seem to be on the schedule.
“It’s an hour of your time, with a beer tent,” she says of her Fringe show. “What more do you want?”
Certainly that’s nothing to get upset about.
