作秀 is a Chinese coinage from English 'show' (秀 is a phonetic loan from 'show' via Cantonese/Taiwanese usage). It means 'to show off, to put on a performance' — often with a negative connotation of being insincere or attention-seeking, especially when talking about public figures, celebrities, or politicians. It's a separable verb (离合词): the 秀 part can be separated by measure words or complements, as in 作了一次秀 ('did one show/performance') or 作什么秀 ('what kind of show are you putting on?').