On working with non-actors
The first rule, the only rule, is to stop trying to get a performance and start trying to get a person.
The trained actor walks into a scene knowing how to hide. The untrained one does not. This is a gift and a hazard in equal measure.
On The afternoon project, I spent more time on the casting than on the script. Once you have the right faces, the script becomes a suggestion. The faces will tell you what the scene actually is.