Better Than Bacon will stage a fundraising improv show in West Chester on Nov. 14. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 N. High St.
Ticket proceeds from the "Bacon Gives Back" show will benefit two regional nonprofits: the Coatesville Youth Initiative and Brandywine Valley Active Aging.
The show is entirely audience-driven. Performers build every scene from suggestions shouted by the crowd, according to the Uptown event listing. No two shows are alike.
Better Than Bacon formed in 2010 when a group of improv enthusiasts met in a local comedy class. Members hail from communities across the southeastern suburbs, including West Chester, Malvern, Exton, Kennett Square, Phoenixville, Media, Swarthmore and Wilmington, Del. The troupe debuted professionally in 2011.
The two beneficiary organizations serve different generations across Chester County.
The Coatesville Youth Initiative, founded in 2008, trains young leaders and runs programs including a summer workforce development corps for teens ages 14 to 18. In 2024, the organization served 1,146 young people, and its youth volunteers logged 10,571 hours of community service.
Brandywine Valley Active Aging launched in January 2021 after the Coatesville Area Senior Center and Downingtown Area Senior Center merged in 2020. Both centers trace their roots to 1977 "Meals Together" programs. The organization now serves more than 2,100 older adults each year and provides more than 65,000 freshly prepared noon meals across its Coatesville and Downingtown campuses.
This is the second year Better Than Bacon has brought its "Bacon Gives Back" show to Uptown. A November 2025 edition raised money for Act in Faith and Safe Harbor.
Tickets and information are available at uptownwestchester.org.
Upcoming community events:
- West Chester University opens a free sustainability showcase to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
- The American Helicopter Museum in West Chester hosts Girls in Aviation Day on Saturday, Sept. 19.
