Written in 1957, the popular Brazilian comedy O Santo e a Porca (The Saint and the Sow) has its classical source of inspiration already stated in its subtitle: a Northeastern Imitation of Plautus. Its author, Ariano Suassuna (1927-2014), alludes in particular to the play Aulularia (The Pot of Gold), by Titus Maccius Plautus (3rd-2nd century BC). As we shall see, the allusiveness of the play goes beyond its subtitle: it is apparent in Suassuna’s plot, in his imitation of Plautine speaking names, word-games and other comic techniques. Professor Tardin-Cardoso will first illustrate the way the Brazilian play calls attention both to its proximity to and distance from its Roman model. By means of such a dialogue, Suassuna underlines (just as Plautus had) his inspirations in popular culture. She will also argue that in Suassuna’s reception of the way Plautus represents deception in his theater, the modern playwright provides a fresh kind of illusion that reflects the image of life and Brazilian culture represented in his drama.