means The act of making, growing, or bringing something into existence — or the staged spectacle (a play, film, or show) that results from all that effort.

from From Latin 'producere,' to bring forth or lead forward — 'pro-' (forward) plus 'ducere' (to lead), the same 'ducere' that fathered 'conduct,' 'duke,' and 'aqueduct.' The word arrived in English through French 'production,' first meaning simply the act of producing; the theatrical sense — a whole show led forward into being — bloomed later, fittingly, since every production is just leading forward whatever you've managed to assemble.