To herald the arrival of Season 4 of the Netflix Original Series Orange Is The New Black (OITNB), Netflix Asia brought the Litchfield Penitentiary to Singapore. The event was held at Overeasy in Orchard Road and was transformed into Litchfield for two nights on 15 and 16 June. After all, doing time makes the waiting time to Season 4 pass much faster.
We got to don orange prison garb and dine at the Litchfield Penitentiary Cafeteria. In the Litchfield Penitentiary Experiment, the participant’s role is that of a prisoner. Once we stepped through the fences, it was the Litchfield Penitentiary and the experiment began.
The entrance to Litchfield Penitentiary.
Prisoner Intake Process
The commissary registered my name and details and passed me my orange prison attire. There was only one chance to flash my winning smile, as the mugshot was promptly taken and printed onto the prisoner name tag. The place is a thuglife-lover’s dream as you get to mark your skin with airbrushed temporary tattoos as well.
The Yard
We were not allowed to enter the cafeteria until dinner time. While waiting for dinner, most of us gathered in the yard. It was packed and rowdy, with stern-looking guards patrolling among us to make sure that we were behaving ourselves. There were a few scenes played out by the guards and old inmates to entertain us as we wait for dinner time. The old inmates would also plant themselves down onto the empty seats from time to time and start intimidating the new inmates.
The old inmates would already be dressed in the orange prison garb.
Getting a Drink
It’s hard enough trying to survive out in the chaotic yard, but they had to make things even more difficult by putting a fierce guard/bartender on duty to put you off getting a drink. Nobody said life in prison was going to be easy.
The bar is located near the yard for pre-dinner drinks.
My attempt to get a drink went like this: I strut to the bar confidently and asked for a drink from the “bartender”.
“No,” he said curtly. “What should you call me?”
I blanked. “Erm …”
He sets down a plastic cup of ice on the bar top. “That’s all you’re getting.”
I blinked a few time in quick succession. “Please? Can I have a Coke?”
He stared at me for a long while before slamming down a can of Coke right beside the plastic cup of ice. I flinched.
“Go. Before I change my mind.”
I quickly grabbed my Coke and cup of ice and scrambled back to my seat. After I was safely surrounded by other inmates, it occurred to me that he just gave me a whole can of Coke. I looked around at the other inmates holding their small cups of beers and Coke and thought that I had gotten lucky instead.
Cafeteria
If you thought getting drinks was difficult, getting food was a whole new ball game. You had to wait in an orderly line with your tray to get to the serving counter where old inmates would dish out the prison food onto your trays. Complaining about the food would get you nothing but a vicious scolding from the old inmate.
Once you have gotten your tray of dinner, you will have to sit at one of the metal-top cafeteria tables alongside other inmates. You’d better hope they don’t find a screwdriver on you, or you might just get it from the guards.
Prison Grub: (clockwise from left) Nutraloaf, Water, Corn, Gruel and a packet of Mustard.
The best way to enjoy this experience was to participate in everything that happens. Everyone was pretty game about the experience, whispering conspiratorially about how best to get a drink or discussing in hushed whispers about how the corn tasted (pretty good!). The new inmates found a sense of camaraderie in the shared immersive experience and the spirit of the show.
It was as if we are dining with the cast of Orange Is The New Black.
As dinner comes to an end, the announcement from the guard released us on parole and it was time to go back to civilian life. The experience was rather short but immersive enough to get a refresher of Litchfield in time for Season 4. OITNB references were all around the room visually as well as in audio as the actors (guards and old inmates) shout familiar lines from the show.
I’m not sure about you, but after participating in the experiment, I’m definitely giving myself up for arrest. Either way, my abuse of the feisty substance that is the OITNB show is enough to warrant one.
Orange Is The New Black Season 4 is out on Netflix on 17 June, 3pm (SGT).
