1
general::
Phrase(s): make a scene [and] create a scene
Fig. to make a public display or disturbance. • When John found a fly in his drink, he started to create a scene. • Oh, John, please don’t make a scene. Just forget about it.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Also, create a scene;make an uproar. Make a public disturbance or excited emotional display. For example, Joan made a scene when the restaurant lost her dinner reservation, or Ted made an uproar over losing his luggage. Make a scene was first recorded in 1831; the variant employs uproar in the sense of "a noisy commotion," a usage first recorded in 1548.
American Heritage Idioms