May you live in interesting times...

I'm watching a Sopranos episode that quotes the old phrase, "May you live in interesting times." I recall hearing that phrase before, but I'm not sure where. I think there was a play where a character dissects that phrase and why it's his favorite curse, but I cannot think of it, and I haven't found it in a Google search regardless of how many ways I word it. Does it sound familiar to anyone here?

James2 said: "I'm watching a Sopranos episode that quotes the old phrase, "May you live in interesting times." I recall hearing that phrase before, but I'm not sure where. I think there was a play where a character dissects that phrase and why it's his favorite curse, but I cannot think of it, and I haven't found it in a Google search regardless of how many ways I word it. Does it sound familiar to anyone here?"

I first encountered the phrase in an episode of White Collar. Do you watch that show? Lol

"May You Live in Interesting Times" was also the name of the 2019 Venice Biennale 58th International Art Exhibition, the first I ever attended, at the last one held before Covid shut everything down. Interesting times to say the least.