My most recent position was running a
black box theater. It was larger than yours (50x50) but in the smallest of
stage configurations (20x20
stage arena seating) I needed at least 50 fixtures for a good looking light design. My larger
stage configurations (40x20
proscenium) ran around 100 fixtures. You may only have the budget to start out with 20 fixtures but your designers and your renters are going to want to use more than that. So plan for more circuits and more
power.
The shoeboxes I would trust for permanent use are the
ETC Smart Bar (not really a
shoebox) and the
Leprecon ULD's. The Smart Bars and ULD's both come in
edison and
stagepin configurations which is excellent. Since the Smartbar's are
ETC products they are of course well built and well supported. I installed some ULD's in a small rental
hall and I was really impressed with the
build quality, and as far as I know they've been very reliable with moderate regular usage. I haven't seen the
Strand Light Pack in person but it appears to be a product worth a solid look if you can.
The Elation/AMDJ/Chauvet
level of shoeboxes are very cheap. You are buying a disposable product. They definitely have their place in the industry but as far as I'm concerned a rental facility is not the place for them. I would not want to rely on them to keep my rig going day in and day out when my facility's reputation is on the
line.