Havel could not claim his Obies because he was under house arrest in what was then Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia. Havel's third Obie, for The Memorandum at the Public Theater in 1968, was smuggled to him by Public founder Joseph Papp.

The panel, which will discuss Havel's work, includes Edward Albee, Wallace Shawn, Anna Deavere Smith and Israel Horovitz.

The Village Voice Theater Critic and Obie Awards chair Michael Feingold, along with the actress Olympia Dukakis, who appeared in The Memorandum, will present Havel with a certificate for all three awards.

The Memorandum and A Private View were at the Public Theater. The company has also presented the Havel plays Largo Desolato, directed by Richard Foreman in 1986, and Temptation in 1989.

The panel is sold out, but standby tickets may be available at the door. The Public Theater is at 425 Lafayette Street.