Re: Haram ... ?
Based on the criteria set by Code-Red, I would say that there is nothing in Islam as per laws that would prohibit any one from acting. I will just give one example and I am sure that it will help.
If you look at the society in Madinah at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) one of the biggest social activity was reading poetry. Arabs were very proud of their language and always experimented with it and one of the ways they did that was through Poetry. Pre Islamic poetry traditions like the Muallaqat is an excellent example of the peak of Arabic poetry.
In Quran, it’s a general perception that poetry is looked down upon, but not declared haram or anything near to that. But there are several Ahadith which are related to poetry, and there are several in which the holy prophet (pbuh) is even involved in these social activities where poetry was recited. Now the ahadith are pretty explicit about good and bad poetry and poetry which praises or lead to shirk or praising gods other than Allah.
Now this being said, It’s a historic fact recorded by many literature historians that one of the ways the Qasidah was read, was through two performers reading different parts of the Qasidah at one time. Keeping in mind the oral tradition of Arabic poetry, they use to recite the poetry as if they were not reciting but enacting the event it self. People still read parts of famous poetry in social gatherings in the same way even today.
So, In my limited, knowledge, based on the reading of Qasidah, I would say that acting is totally allowed as long as we know that in the process of acting we do not cross the limits set by Quran and sunnah. It means like you may not kiss a namehrum or so and so. But the bottom line is as long as this acting is going to help Islam, enhance our knowledge and especially if it will not disturb the moral fabric of our society then i think even the JI people will not object on it.
I assume we are all allowed to have our opinions.
Wa Allah u Aalum.
On a side note, we should be very careful in using the word Haram, since its only Allah who can declare anything Haram.