Ryan DeLuca stars as Johnny.

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Kevin Johnson knows Johnny Hobson.

Johnny is the sole character in "The Bible Belt . . . and Other Accessories," which Johnson is directing for the company he founded, Arizona Onstage Productions.

"There's a lot of me in that character," said Johnson in a phone interview earlier this week.

"I'm from a small town in Texas, and I had incredibly uncomfortable experiences coming out. My parents were Jehovah's Witnesses and they pretty much excommunicated me."

Johnny Hobson is gay, from a small Texas town, and his life with his family and the townsfolk is anything but easy.

Tucsonans first met Hobson in January of last year, when Arizona Onstage presented the first of Paul Bonin-Rodriguez's five-play series about the teen, "Talk of the Town."

In that, he was working at Dairy Queen and just discovering he's a tad different than other boys. He was mad with hope, despite all obstacles.

In "The Bible Belt . . . ," Johnny is now 16. He still lives in that small Texas town, still works at the Dairy Queen, but he has found a new love: home economics. He's the only boy in the class.

"In 'Bible Belt . . . ,' Johnny is more able to stand on his own two feet," said Johnson, who also was the only boy in his home ec class.

It's packed with humor, and, like the first, there are important lessons that Johnny learns. In this, they are about bigotry — religious and racial.

Starring in the show is Ryan DeLuca, a University of Arizona freshman.

"He's very honest in his approach," Johnson said about DeLuca, who first worked for Arizona Onstage in its 2003 production of "Falsettoland."

"To some, this is a play about discovering independence and defending oneself," DeLuca said in a press release. "To others it's about finding a hero, and, yes, to some it is about sticking up for being gay and being yourself. To me, this story is all of those, but mostly this is the journey of a teenage boy who speaks his mind and sticks up for what he believes is right."

"The Bible Belt . . . and Other Accessories"

• By: Paul Bonin-Rodriguez.

• Presented by: Arizona Onstage Productions.

• Director: Kevin Johnson.

• When: Preview is 7:30 p.m. Thursday; opening is 8 p.m. next Friday. Regular performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 20. 2 p.m.-only performance Jan. 12.

• Where: Zuzi's Theater, 738 N. Fifth Ave.

• Tickets: $15; opening night is a fundraiser for PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), and tickets are $25; discounts available.

• Information: 882-6574.

• Cast: Ryan DeLuca.

• Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.