For Tim Henning, founder and artistic director of Emergent Arts, the decision to stage Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” grew from a wish to not only highlight the abilities of Henning’s longtime friend Larry Rusinsky (who plays Vladimir), but to also push his fledgling theater company in a new, more ambitious direction.

“We’re still a company searching for an identity, beyond doing things like ‘Christmas Carol’ and ‘The Mousetrap,’” said Henning. “Those shows are fine, but I was looking to do something that was more of a challenge for us.” Indeed, challenges abound in Beckett’s spare, existential classic about two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, who mark time and quarrel and converse while awaiting the arrival of a mysterious figure who may not ever arrive.

Deceptive in its simplicity, the play initially baffled American audiences when it premiered in Miami in 1956. A respectable if not staggering New York run followed, but the tramps didn’t make it back to Broadway again until this year, when Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane donned the derbies.

“The interesting thing is that ‘Godot’ productions either go one way or the other,” said Henning. “They either go really serious with it, or really camp up the humor.”

So which path did Henning choose? “We want the humor to be there,” said Henning. “The characters were inspired by the comedy teams of the '20s, like Laurel and Hardy — Beckett was a big fan when he was at Cambridge. So Vladimir and Estragon riff back and forth a lot like a two-man act from vaudeville. There are punchlines, but they’re not big punchlines. The timing is the humor.”

But Henning and his cast have tried to avoid letting the play’s laughs hijack its darker shades.

“There’s beautiful poetry in the play, and we don’t want to lose that in trying to be funny,” said Henning. “Plus, the more serious you go with it, the funnier it becomes. … It’s humor about the pathetic-ness of life. Sometimes in our attempts to create meaning and identity, we’re kind of pathetic, and when you look at it from that viewpoint, it’s funny.”

Henning confesses that it’s daunting, of course, to take on one of the seminal theatrical works of the 20th century. People who are new to Beckett, and who simply want to be entertained, will likely come to the show, as will those who know the play well.

“The good thing is that there’s so much in the play that there’s a lot to explore,” said Henning. “And it’s almost like, the more that's expected of you, the more freedom you have. … A lot of times, with an amateur group, people don’t have their lines learned until the last minute, and it drives you crazy. But these folks knew their lines right off the bat. They understand that it’s a responsibility to do this thing well.”

"Waiting for Godot" Who: Emergent Arts. What: Samuel Beckett's classic existential drama about two tramps who entertain and annoy each other while waiting for a mysterious figure. Where: Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti. When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17-27. How much: $18 ($15 for students and seniors); if you purchase advance tickets at the Emergent Arts web site, you can save $1 per ticket. Info: For reservations, call 734-330-7815, or e-mail info@emergentarts.com.

Photo courtesy Emergent Arts. From left: Steve Elliott as Estragon and Larry Rusinsky as Vladimir.